Silent Hill Chronicles: The Bellow of The Siren
by Dark Dementium
Summary: Payton McClure lives in an orphanage in the heart of Silent Hill. But not for long, as she is soon taken over by the grasp of Silent Hill's bundle of darkness and whispered secrets. Chapter 4 on hold until further notice! R&R, don't bash, and enjoy!
1. Prologue and Introduction

**A/N: **Yes this prologue is weird, but you have to understand, Claudia is a strange woman. She "predicted" the start of all the evil in Silent Hill. This is her prayer exclaiming the beginning of the evil. It may seem hard to understand, but bear with it.

**Prologue**

**The blood of the days shall pass along the eminence of evil. And through the ruin of the damned, it will come to pass that darkness will rise up. The bellowing of the siren will tell the beginning of these black and foreboding ages. Only the recalling of past terrors will reveal the evil rising over the damned. **

_**If the goodness does prevail, the fogginess of hate and fear shall envelop the valleys of the victims. And through this shall the minions of hell walk 'round the earth's great and spacious landscape. The landscape will turn to dust, and wastes shall rise. The wastes shall give way to the taboo of creatures only heard of in the book of the dead. And the world shall therefore collapse in their anger. Bringing forth the silent hill**_ – Claudia Mason, mother of Harry Mason, the second man chosen by this evil.

Introduction

Claudia rummaged through the musty trunk, hoping to find what she was looking for. After what seemed like years of meticulous searching, she had finally found the book. The book that would tell the beginning of the end of days.

_She held the book above her head as if she were a hero, or as if she were a God. She needed to warn the others of the siren. If she didn't, they would only perish in the utter being of evil._

"_It shall call unto them. Waiting for their flesh." She exclaimed out loud, as if someone were actually listening to her words. _

_She twitched and cringed at the very thought. What if everyone was damned? What if everyone succumbed to this great fate? And the children at the orphanage…they would perish in the fire…_

_She began to examine the book again, rapidly flipping the pages. She realized she needed to put together an order so that no one would succumb. But that girl. The one who is chosen. Alessa. Her evil hadn't been born yet, but soon it would be too late for all of them…including that older girl at the orphanage…too late…Alessa's spirit did reign at that very moment, but only in the darkness. Alessa would tell the end of ages, and bring them forth, and the damned would be lost unto her…_

_**A/N: **_As you can see, Claudia Mason is a character I did make up just to kind of open things up. She is very similar to Dahlia Gillespie, who will play a pretty good role in this part of the Silent Hill Chronicles.


	2. Chapter 1: Through the Ashes

**A/N: **This story takes place before the events of Silent Hill Origins. I made up some of the characters and pretty much all of the plotlines. Please give this a chance, and enjoy it since it's my first fan fiction.

**Chapter 1**

"The power of God is set free upon you, my child. Never underestimate his power, for he is the one that will lead you from eternal damnation." Bickered Claudia, this time the tone of her preaching got worse.

_Your crazy lady. Crazy. _Thought Payton McClure as she basked in the dense fog that enveloped the outdoors. She never liked being around the other children at any given moment. She was older than most of them, fifteen years old, and much prettier, at least she thought. Instead, she had decided to make due with the town's unremarkably insane bystander, Claudia Mason.

Claudia had lived in Silent Hill for a long period of time, so long that you would wonder why she was what she was. She was pale skinned, her complexion emanated the texture of old milk, and her hair was the kind you found in sheepskin factories. She wasn't very old, about twenty-one odd years, yet she acted like she had lived on this Earth since the beginning of time.

Claudia spoke to Payton through the playground fence almost every other day during playtime. Claudia would exclaim that she knew God, and she knew that his wrath would be upon all of them when the damnation of days fell upon them. Payton never believed any of Claudia's sham at all, but her words did sweep away Payton's monotony for reasons untold. Of course, every day at Grace Grove Orphanage wasn't exactly Payton's cup of tea. The facades of Silent Hill didn't make up for its insipid nature either.

"Inside, everyone! Quickly now!" Bellowed Miss Lonnie, the orphanage instructor. A stampede of children echoed throughout the playground. Loud voices and bantering proceeded inside the orphanage as Miss Lonnie signaled for Payton to make haste.

"You must leave child. May God be with you," Claudia said gracefully.

"Payton please do not speak another word to that woman! She'll only turn you into her. Make haste inside now." Miss Lonnie snapped, staring vengefully at Claudia.

"What ever serves you well, my dear," Claudia said, almost chuckling.

As Payton sat down to eat, she stared solemnly as the other girls prepared to say grace, their hair flowing downward toward their chests. Payton always kept her hair behind her ears in a style that looked much like the waves that batted against the shores of Toluca Lake. Payton's features made all of the girls jealous, with her tan complexions, brown hair that was silky like chocolate truffles, and perfect tree-bark-hazel eyes.

The other girls began to murmur about Payton, but what they were speaking of was therefore concealed in their conversations. Payton didn't care, for she was even jealous of herself in certain ways. She believed that she didn't deserve such privileged looks.

The girls' murmurs began to get louder as Miss Lonnie, and Mrs. Wyatt, the assistant orphanage director, glided quickly into the packed-in dining room.

"Quiet now!" Miss Lonnie demanded. All the girls and boys began to playfully giggle, which in turn caused both Miss Lonnie and Mrs. Wyatt to demand silence.

"Grace now, children." Mrs. Wyatt spoke as all the children, including Payton, folded their arms and somberly bowed their heads.

Miss Lonnie began with a prayer. "Oh God in Heaven. Please bless these children with strength and safety. Please bless them that they will be strong, and diligently willed. And-" Miss Lonnie was cut off by a sudden smack of what sounded like thunder, but instead came from inside the dining room. As swiftly as the smacking sound occurred, darkness prevailed over the dining room, and another smack, this time louder and without hesitation, occurred.

Loud screams and pattering footsteps filled the dining room. Mrs. Wyatt's voice was then heard over the entire rumpus of children.

"Panic is not the answer children. Sit calmly in your seat until we dismiss you. Please sit- ouch! Damn you!" Mrs. Wyatt wailed out, going from calm to angry within a few seconds. It seemed as though she had been lightly trampled, although there were no children around her.

Payton was the only one who bravely stayed put. The last thing she wanted was to get stepped on, let alone be trampled all together. She glued herself to her chair until she heard the noise. It was the howling of the siren.

"The end of days will come with the calling of the siren of truth, and all who are in it's midst shall bow down unto the subordinates of hell." Claudia had whispered that to Payton a few days before. That night, Payton had heard the siren in her dreams and nightmares, and never once expected the evil that did appear before her.

At that moment, she was scared for herself and anyone around her. She unglued herself from her seat and scuttled towards any door she believed to be an exit to safety.

"My child, please stay put for panic is not safe at the moment." Miss Lonnie barked towards Payton.

"It's here," said Payton, a fearful yet serious tone to her voice.

"What's here? Come now my child!" Miss Lonnie cracked over the variety of noises that plagued the dining room.

Payton ignored her request and swung open the solid brown oak double doors that led out of the dining room.

"This way, everyone. The midst of death is upon us!" Payton screamed, stopping everyone in his or her tracks. Good lord. She realized she'd sounded so much like that crazy Claudia just then. However, Claudia did know more than Payton. Then again, maybe Claudia knew more than anyone had bargained for.

The bursting screams became louder this time, and the children jostled and pushed over to the double doors. Exiting the room seemed the top priority for the children, but it didn't seem to matter to Miss Lonnie or Mrs. Wyatt. Yet, Mrs. Wyatt seemed to be drowned out by everything going on around her. She didn't seem to exist at that moment.

As the double doors began to open wider, a thin, but blinding mist glimmered its way into the dining room. Some of the children became disorientated, but Payton kept on, ramming her way through the unsuspecting huddles, which in turn allowed Payton to escape through the double doors without a scratch or a bruise.

The corridor outside of the dining room expanded a far distance, almost too far to comprehend. Payton needed to lead all of the children to the main hall, but the only way was through the dining hall corridor. She had to find a way to move quickly, yet with a smooth and straight pace. That's it! Single file lines would have to do.

"Single file everyone, and hurry!" Payton yelled over the still jostled crowd.

Her word only leaked into the center of the crowd, but was passed on faster then she thought it would be. This time, there was an even bigger scurry. The children were almost climbing over each other. It was as if chaos had reigned already.

The single file line did materialize itself once everyone knew how to smooth out in an orderly progression. Payton shoved herself to the front of the line, almost knocking two people over. The hallway seemed unusually crammed, and a little too crammed for that matter. It was as if the children were unhappy sardines in a twenty-foot long suitcase.

The line started moving slowly but surely. The corridor, however, seemed to get even more extensive as the line pressed on. Suddenly, a dry flaky substance almost like tissue paper flowed in the corridor from the main hall. It was almost like a very mild mannered blizzard, but the snow wasn't cold. Payton caught some in her finger, examined it, and then realized what it was.

_Ash! Ash means fire! _Payton thought rigidly, in an almost undeniable fashion.

But maybe if they just went the other direction towards the lofts…no, that wasn't right. She had to lead the other children to an actual way out, and the one she was taking was risky but significant.

She decided to pay no heed to the storm of ash, and she hoped no one else would either.

They continued on the trek until they reached the main hall, where the ash was still flowing. However, the ash seemed to be flowing out from below them, not towards them. Then Payton remembered that Silent Hill had been famous for underground coal fires in the past. But she wondered why they had to start now, after over a half of a century.

Darkness suddenly began to engulf the main hall like flames of fire. It wasn't any ordinary darkness, for it was thick and heavily blinding like winter fog. It took Payton a second to find her balance in the darkness. She still felt the Luke-warm ash caress the bare skin of her arms. It was flooding the main hall heavily now, whisking away every bit of space. The darkness seemed to get thicker as time past, and Payton began to get more fearful.

Payton began to bravely feel her way through this dense blackness, and finally discovered the knob to the front door. She turned it hard, almost snapping it off, and swung the door open. It seemed to be no less different outside than it was in, for an even thicker darkness poured into the main hall. Payton cautiously budged herself forward, and felt her body pass the threshold. She could hear other people follow her, some almost tripping, and some still bawling with fear.

She knew that she was outdoors when she heard the siren yet again, this time a bit more vague than before. As the siren howled its way through the landscape, more darkness and ash appeared before her, but this time, some of the darkness developed a red tint, as if blood was raining through the atmosphere. Then something began to pull Payton, trapping her in its powerful grasp. She could feel evil descend upon her so truly, that she could even here its whispers. She attempted to glance around her, the unseen force still pulling her towards an uncertain destination.

Suddenly, the thick darkness turned to a dreary light, and a figure appeared in front of Payton. The figure possessed the most horrific features, including dark red piercing eyes, and an aura only found in nightmares. The figure's complexion seemed to be quite disgruntled and deformed, like rotting flesh. Its smell was so profoundly retched, that it almost made Payton heave.

Claudia appeared next to the figure, staring blankly into space. Claudia mouthed something in Payton's direction, but it wasn't explicable. Claudia then turned her attention to the figure, whose eyes began to turn a darker red, until they were as black as the midnight sky. Payton twitched, frozen in place. The deformed figure stepped forward, this time emanating a terrifying and ghastly presence before Payton. The figure then touched Payton's hand, and began to gently stroke it. The figure's hand felt like a bed of needles against a sheet of sand paper.

Claudia still stood there blankly, staring off into nothing as the figure began to speak. At first, its voice was low and raspy and played out in slow motion. But then, its words began to be a little more understandable, until they were crystal clear to Payton.

"I'm Alessa, and I'm just like you." The figure laughed in a gruff tone. Payton began to wobble back and forth as if she were a rubber pencil, and darkness finally took her over as she fainted flat upon the moist ground.


	3. Chapter 2:  Death, Dementia, and Sorrow

**A/N:** Just remember, this is before Silent Hill Origins, and Dr. Kaufmann is a lot younger than he is in the first one, and Lisa Garland is non-existent. I of course made up nurse Nancy Kaufmann. It may seem hard to understand, but Alessa's spirit basically foreshadows Nancy's death to Payton. Just explaining that so you'll understand! Enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

…"_Fire is in the eyes of the damned…" Claudia bellowed out as if she were a mad tabby cat. She stood in front of Payton, her eyes transfixed on a book that looked as if it were made from human skin…Payton let out a silent scream, almost unable to escape…_

Payton awoke, her vision disgruntled. She had almost forgotten the events of the night before, but they were too vague for her to jerk them out of her mind. She twitched slightly as she began to examine the vast room she was in.

It was a whitish-gray, like the blankets of fog that swept over Silent Hill every day. Blinding white light draped over Payton from above. Everything was like a storm of white.

"She seems almost stable. Her eyes are open." Exclaimed a high yet lethargic male voice to Payton's left. A tall and shrouded figure suddenly appeared in the midst of Payton's line of vision. She couldn't make out the features of the figure just yet, but from the figure's shape, stance, and white glare she conjured up a pretty good idea of where she was.

Her movements also began to come into play, and she was able to turn her head to her right slightly. Her vision seemed a bit clearer when she caught sight of a large sign stretched out across the wall. It read:

ALCHEMILLA HOSPITAL 

**ROOM 203**

**BATTERED PATIENT WARD**

Payton immediately cringed inside and out. She hated hospitals with a passion, ever since she was a little girl. Of course, she knew the reason she was here, and it was certainly a good one.

That horrible figure she saw earlier clogged her thoughts, still speaking those same exact words. "_My name is Alessa, and I'm just like you."_

Payton turned her head into a forward position, and became slightly startled when she saw the male figure again, this time he was crystal clear. She examined his every move, and the details of his appearance. He looked as if he were a nervous animal, fiddling away at his fingers, and withheld a look of strong contentment in his eyes.

He was wearing a dimly colored gray coat with a badge attached to the upper left hand corner of his chest that read:

DR. MICHAEL KAUFMANN 

**ALCHEMILLA HOSPITAL**

**BATTERED PATIENT WARD**

"Excuse me, sweetheart? Are you okay?" Dr. Kaufmann asked in Payton's direction. At first, Payton couldn't seem to budge, only speaking in her mind. Then she managed to mumble a simple moan.

"I'm…f…fine…I…ho…hope." She managed to stagger out.

Dr. Kaufmann seemed to ignore what she said. "Well, we'll have you out of here in no time." He assured, with the same look of contentment in his eyes, this time stronger. Payton began to force out a reply, but was interrupted by Dr. Kaufmann.

"Nurse! Her vitals are fine. Guess she just had a nasty fall. She just needs her rest." Dr. Kaufmann said to a red uniform wearing nurse who began to make her way into the room.

Payton began to get groggy, her vision leaving her quickly.

"…Extensive…morphine…" were the only foggy words Payton heard escape the nurse's mouth before she passed out yet again.

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_Payton awoke in the middle of a deserted road, a foghorn groaning behind her. The foghorn's blare began to get louder and more unnatural, until it turned into a gut-wrenching scream. Payton turned swiftly to find a figure crawling its way from the middle of the road. The figure was moving itself along with the stumps of limbs that were once present. Payton cringed, her eyes spinning rapidly in circles. _

_The crawling figure became drenched in a crimson sheet of blood as it slowly made its way towards Payton. Payton's vision began to give way, turning into what seemed like a broken and fizzy TV screen. _

_The street Payton was standing on felt wet, as the light around it became brighter and brighter. The crawling monster was only a few feet away, and another figure appeared behind it. This figure began to move rapidly towards Payton without losing a step. Payton realized it was the bloody façade of the "Alessa" figure she had seen a few days before. _

_Alessa stared blankly at Payton, her eyes nearly shoving their way into Payton's being. The crawling figure was suddenly face to face with Payton now. _

_Its features were even more horrifying than Alessa's. It had deep endless pits of despair for eyes, and its flesh tore at the bone. Its lips seamed sealed, almost as if they were sewn together. Its skin was a burned in maroon, like that of leaves in the fall. It let out continuous groans, releasing breath in Payton's face that felt like old death. _

_Payton panned her frightened glance to the left, noticing that Alessa was standing right beside the crawling figure. She stared in front of her, this time her expression more evil than the last, and squealed, pointing to the crawling and mangled figure on the ground, "This is nurse dementia. Hear her roar, as you are her victim."_

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Payton awoke, her nightmarish thoughts screaming to burst out of her head. She was fully awake, and fully capable of movement this time. She immediately sat up on her bed as if she were a stiff rag doll. She looked left and right, making sure no one could tell that she had experienced a nightmare.

What did it mean? What was Alessa trying to tell her? Who was "nurse dementia?" Payton didn't know what to think, her mind darting back and forth between puzzled thoughts.

She arose from her bed, almost falling, and made herself stable by holding on to the edge of her "battered patient" bed. She glanced to the side, noticing a large window etched within the wall on the right side of the room. She stepped over to the window, examining the landscape it showed. The normal thick blanket of creamy white fog was stretched out over the streets of Silent Hill. However, one thing did stand out. There was a lone figure standing in the middle of Barron Street.

Payton had become tired of these "figures" appearing before her, but decided to pay attention anyway. The figure was short and stout, with long black flowing hair that stretched down toward its lower back. It was wearing what looked like a blue school uniform, with a plain blue shirt and a red and black-checkered skirt.

The figure stood there for what seemed like a millennium, but then slowly started turning towards Payton. Payton noticed that the figure had a shining, porcelain face, with innocent eyes. Payton concluded the figure was obviously female, and began to get even more curious by the second.

The figure's hand began to lift, and her pointer finger began to extend. Payton noticed she was pointing straight towards Payton's direction. Her movements were tangible; it was as if she were trying to warn Payton of something…something behind her.

"Excuse me? Are you Payton McClure?" Startled, Payton flung herself around to find that nurse in red and black uniform standing in front of her. The nurse's hair was a light brown and blonde mix that looked like a morning summer sun rising over a bright forest of fall colors. She possessed a fairly skinny figure, with a waist that curved like train tracks. She was of a fairly dark color, her skin almost displaying motley tan shades.

Payton stood in a deep state of disarray. "Alright then. I'll just come back later." The nurse said in a disappointed tone.

After a while, Payton finally realized that the nurse was talking to her. She watched as the nurse began to glide out of the room.

"Wait a second!" Payton shouted. The nurse stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. "Yes?"

"Yes my name is Payton McClure." Payton replied gracefully.

"Oh. Well, my name is Nancy Kaufmann. I'm Dr. Kaufmann's sister. I work here part time as a nurse. Dr. Kaufmann ordered that I check on your status, but it seems that your fully functioning and aware of where you are, is that correct?" Nancy asked suspiciously.

"Correct. But what exactly-" Payton was cut off by Nancy.

"Happened? You had a nasty fall outside of Grace Grove orphanage. You were found early yesterday evening, and taken here." Nancy stated precariously.

"And the others?" Payton asked, almost ignoring what Nancy had just said.

"What others?" Nancy began to act worried.

"The other children at the orphanage. They were following me when-" Payton was interrupted by Nancy once again.

"I can assure you that all of them are safe and sound where they are supposed to be." Nancy assured Payton. She began to look tense, as if it were her first day on the job.

"But the siren-" Nancy completely ignored Payton's remark.

"Come now. Follow me. Dr. Kaufmann needs to examine you further." Nancy beckoned, calmly motioning for Payton to follow her.

Payton obeyed Nancy's signal and began to walk towards her. The pale light that gleamed through the window nearly blinded Payton, causing her to briefly stagger. She slowly made her way out of the room towards Nancy, but began to abnormally stumble.

Darkness began to envelop Payton's senses, and the floor below her turned into a light shade of flowing red. The environment around her seemed to be denser and more shaded than usual. She dropped to her knees, switching her position and twitching rapidly. She began to see an armless woman staggering in front of her, a look of utter terror streaked across her face. The woman began to lose her balance and grip on the atmosphere, and fell, losing her two remaining limbs.

"_Please…" _the woman managed to push through the narrow slit of her mouth.

"Payton? Payton? Are you all right? Do I need to page Dr. Kaufmann? Hello?" Payton snapped back to reality, and found that Nancy was hastily shaking her back and forth.

Payton froze, and looked up and Nancy. "I'm…fine." She lied hesitantly, quivering.

"Let's get you to doctor Kaufmann's office quickly before this happens again." Nancy said, assuring Payton that she was safe, actually back where she belonged.

Payton forced herself to get up, and slowly but surely followed after Nancy. They had finally made their way into the corridor outside of the room, and began pacing down its snaking interior.

Payton suddenly began to hear it again. That siren. This time it was even more pronounced. Payton clutched her head, trying to tell herself that it wasn't real, and that she was just hearing things, but the siren continued its high pitched scream. It became faster and louder with every step Payton took, causing Payton to finally freeze in her tracks.

Nancy continued down the mind-bending corridor, unsuspicious of the siren, and unaware that Payton was falling behind. Payton tried to yell after her, but it was too late. Nancy was consumed by that same bulky darkness Payton had experienced before.

The darkness moved closer to Payton, and the siren became more vague. Payton flipped herself around, and started to run in the other direction, but it was too late. The wall before her had closed itself in, and sprawled across it were fresh, bloody words that read:

Death, Dementia, and Sorrow 

Payton gave out a high shriek as her legs gave out from under her, and darkness possessed her once again.

**A/N: ** Well, there you have it! Chapter 2 of this gut-wrenching story! Please review, don't bash, and enjoy!


	4. Chapter 3:  The Portal of Foggy Light

**A/N: **Here's Chapter 3 for you. I would like to thank everyone for the great reviews you've given me! You give me the inspiration to keep this story going! Special consideration to Ombrenuit for the amazing writing! He outstands us all in this genre! Well, read on, and enjoy! Happy reading and writing!

**Chapter 3**

The time was getting closer now. Claudia could feel it. As she stepped up to the Orphanage, she thought of how unfortunate it would be to be consumed by the darkness. That's why she had to warn them all, before it happened. Before hell knocked on their door, and they invited it in…

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Payton awoke, drowsiness draped over her eyes. It took her a moment to realize what had happened. She had passed out yet again as the darkness took her over. And that siren…that awful siren…

She examined the area around her, this time taking great care in knowing all the minor details in order not to stumble over herself again. She had to squint her eyes in order to focus, moving her head back and forth still examining.

The walls consisted of plain red wallpaper covered in a moss like substance, and dripping and peeling almost as if it were real bodily flesh. Horrid smells of rot and must stung Payton's nostrils, causing her to sneeze and nearly vomit. She shook in terror, wondering if this was really the end of days as Claudia had told her.

She finally managed to sit up on her knees, and look around some more. It appeared as though she had been imprisoned in a large and lackluster utility closet. She noticed that there was no door that went in or out of the room, which greatly distressed her.

She quickly turned in all directions and noticed a series of shelves above her that withheld tools of only a macabre nature. A hammer swung from a hook on the second shelf, sharp pointed spikes poking out from its many sides. Bloody mannequin limbs were what the top shelf consisted of, and a long pickaxe stood on the bottom.

Payton twitched, only to find that she was possessed in relentless horror. She began to search rapidly for a means of escape, finding a small crawlspace in front of her that was just big enough for her to fit through.

She entered, feeling inclined yet claustrophobic. She scurried her way through not attempting to go back. The darkness was laid out in front of her; its blanket caressing the ever so twitching ends of her skin. She still decided to press on, though her ego told her to stop, and just perish on the spot. She could get through this. She had never been afraid of the dark anyway.

Suddenly her hand slipped, and fell into a tight and damp hole just below her. She stopped, attempting to budge her hand from its strangling snare. With struggle, she pulled it out, rubbing it as if she were in real pain. Right at that moment, only Payton knew if real pain even existed.

Payton began to hear muffled groans below her. She turned her head down, staring closely into the hole that had caught her arm. She saw something stagger its way back and forth, pacing the confines of the light and musty room below the hole. Payton breathed a sigh of relief as she realized there could be someone that could help her in that room.

"Hello? Anyone? Please help!" Payton yelled down the hole, hoping and praying that it was someone that could help her.

The thing stopped in its tracks, and moved into the room's dominant light source. Payton then realized she had made a grave mistake.

The Charlie horse monster in the room below the hole had four legs, two of which protruded out of its upper back. Its head was stretched out lengthwise, interpreting the shape of a deformed horses head. It had broad arms too, which extended out from its chest, and stroked the ground making loud scratching and gnawing noises. Strangely, the creature had no tail, which seemed strange for its animal-like figure. The creature's skin trickled with sweat and blood, and its skin complexion was the color of a grapefruit grove.

Payton froze, uneager to move any further. She told herself that if she didn't move, then maybe…

The Charlie horse turned its head into an awkward upwards position, almost as if it had two faces. It stared bluntly, straight in Payton's direction. She was still frozen, unable to move, and taken aback by something worse than terror itself. She attempted to move, but her fear only got worse as she struggled with every bit of power she had left in her.

The Charlie horse let out a low growl, startling Payton to hear breaking point. She screamed as if someone was actually there to listen to her. The Charlie horse flailed its arms, letting out moans and groans of wrath and pain. It began to rotate around in incomplete circles, getting even more furious. It looked around desperately, as if trying to look for something it had lost.

Payton felt relieved as she realized that the Charlie horse was virtually sightless. It had no idea that she existed, let alone know that she was the cause of the entire disturbance. It only knew that it was being bothered or violated because of all the loud noises she was making.

Payton finally gathered her courage and decided to use the subordinate's disability to her advantage. She pressed on, taking precautions this time on how much noise she made as to not attract anything else to her midst.

As she continued forward through the contracted tunnel, she began to see a horde of light rushing in to greet her. Small amounts of relief and happiness began to fill her emotions, making her thoughts almost clear. She crawled faster through the tunnel, hoping that it was a safe light.

She began to get closer and closer to the light, until she heard something coming from behind her. It was a low grunt, like the one a dog makes when it's chasing a victimized cat. She wanted to turn around, but the space in the tunnel was far too narrow, and plus she didn't have enough time to spare. The grunt became louder, and more blunt as Payton shuffled through the tunnel faster towards the blinding light. She had a gut feeling that it was safe, and that it was help.

The tunnel seemed never ending, like an underground train. The grunt turned into a scurrying sound. Something was crawling after her.

She began to hear disembodied voices in her ear as the crawling thing behind her came closer.

"Help…" was the last thing she heard behind her before bursting into the ever so pure and cleansing light at the end of the tunnel.

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The dense, foggy breeze outside blew on Payton's neck. It gave her a comforting tingle, like she had finally escaped this madness. She was back in Silent Hill, and out of what she believed to be hell itself…at least for now.

She opened her eyes and squinted as the dazzling light flowed through her vision. She had made it, and there was no going back now. There was no reason to.

She twisted around, wondering if the endless tunnel of despair was still behind her. Wondering if those brutal creatures were still coming after her. She looked, finding no trace of where she had come from. All that was before her was blank air rushing past her face. She had no time or strength to twinge, but she still wondered. It was as if the darkness had led her through a portal into light.

Why would hell lead you to Heaven? She thought, as she stroked her chin ever so slightly. She turned around again; staring at what horizon was represented before her eyes. She looked up, searching for a street sign. She realized she was on the corner of Clover Street and Simonson Avenue. This was near Willow Dale Street, where the Hillside Tower, and Payton knew that she could find at least some security there.

She began slowly making her way down towards Kingsley Street, which wasn't too far from here, and it was where Hillside Tower was located. She walked, not stopping to even look at anything. She was fully aware of where she was going, even though what was occurring in front of her didn't have her full attention. It no more than suddenly appeared to her that she was being followed by something, its traction beginning to increase as she stepped further.

Payton hadn't realized this until she reached the corner of Bloomington Drive and Kingsley Street. She stopped for a second, wondering if she should turn around to investigate, or just ignore the sounds occurring behind her. She had come this far, and had been through so much. Payton felt ambivalent about turning around, but she figured that if she wanted to move any faster, she had to face the unknown monstrosity that lurked in her shadow.

She flung herself around, and took a defensive stance, hoping and praying that this monster didn't even exist. She closed her eyes, and threw a punch at only mid air. She opened her eyes, and threw her head back in surprise.

"Have a hold of yourself there?" Said the man standing in front of her. He was bulk and muscular, his eyes drooping into Payton's. His eyes were very glum, and their color was a flushed black, not like any color she had ever seen before. His hair was an ashy gray, and kind of looked like a wool blanket. His clothes consisted of a ragged and old looking tan suit coat, with silky blue trousers, and mocha colored dress shoes. She suspected him to be around his mid to late 40s judging by his skin complexion, which was slowly falling into wrinkling folds.

"Well are you just going to look at me, or are you going to say something?" The man said vindictively.

"Never…sneak…up…on anyone…" Payton was breathing hard now, her face pasty white in terror. Her heart was thudding in her chest, almost as if it wanted to break free.

"Well now. Seems I better introduce myself. How rude of me. My name is Hammond Gillespie." He said, stroking the crops of his hair nervously.

Gillespie…it sounded strangely familiar to Payton…

Hammond stood there, staring blankly at Payton. She snapped out of her terror, her face becoming flushed and her expression becoming a curious and optimistic one. She wondered what this man was doing walking around a town like Silent Hill. He certainly didn't seem like an off-season tourist, and oddly enough, he didn't seem like a resident either.

Hammond glanced around himself as if there was something that he missed.

"Is there…something your looking for?" Payton asked Hammond, her eyes burning into his.

"The Hillside Tower is this way, isn't it? I've always wondered…" Hammond said, paying no heed to Payton's question.

"Yes. Follow me, won't you?" Payton asked, not caring what his response was.

Hammond stood there, staring at her with contentment. "I'm not-" Hammond was cut off by Payton's masterful escape. She ran, not trusting the man that trailed behind her.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Hammond hollered after her. "STOP…"

It was too late. Before she knew it, a familiar being butted its head against Payton's solid backbone, sending her hurdling through the mist like Raggedy Ann in a car accident, leaving a foreign world to seize her once again.

**A/N: **There you have it! Chapter 3! I know it probably wasn't very good, but the story will get better. Yes there are a lot of plot holes and things I haven't explained yet, but its only chapter 3. R&R, don't bash, and enjoy!


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